Shop.



PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907 's. EMANUEL.

SHOE.

APPLIGATIGL' FILED JANA, 1906.

l'lE S 'rijs ATENT osrucn.

SAMUEL A. EMANUEL, OF NESQUEHONING, PENNSYLVANIA.

SHOP

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 6, 1907.

Application filed January 4:, 1906. Serial No. 294,653.

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. v

My inventionrelates' to improvements in shoes, and

' more particularly to one which may be quickly opened to permit a person to remove his foot therefrom.

The object of the invention is to provide a shoe of this character which is particularly adapted for the use of railroad men, foundry men and others, and from .which a person may quickly remove his foot should the shoe become caught in the frogs or switches of a railroad track, or shouldjhe shoe be otherwise caught or (lamaged so that the wearer would be injured if he couldnot quickly extricate his foot. 4

With the above and other objects in view, my inventionconsists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

1n the accompanying drawings-Figure l is a side elevation of my improved shoe, showing the same closed; Fig. 2 is a similar view of-the same, showing its rear or emergency fastening in its open position;

and Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 33 inFig. 1.

Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 denotes a shoe of any desired form and construction, which has its upper 2 closed at the front by the usual lacing cord 3 or by any other suitable fastening means. The rear of the upper is also open and is adapted to be normally closed by a fastening means 4, which is only opened in' cases of emergency when-it is desired to quickly remove the foot from the shoe without opening the lacing cord or fastener 3 at the front. The two sides 5,

6, of the upper are connected at their rear edges by a' substantially V-shaped web or insert 7 which serves to exclude water, snow, sand and the like, and at the same time permits the two half sections 5, 6, to be spread apart, so that the foot may be quickly removed from the laced shoes The fastening means 4 preferably consists of a fiap8, which is formed integral with or secured to (by stitchingor otherwise) one of the side sections of the upper, as shown to the inner section 5, and is adapted to be lapped or folded over the other side sect-ion 6, 'as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The flap 8 may be secured upon the outer side of the upper section 6 in any manner which will permit it to be quickly and easily separated therefrom, but I preferably employ the well known snap fasteners consisting of balls or bonds 9 secured upon the upper section 6 and resilient sockets 10 secured upon the flap 8. Any number of these ball-and-socket snap fasteners may loeme'mfasteners uponthe outer side of the upper and providing said flap with a tongue or lip 11,.a person may readily reach down and grasp the tongue and open or unfasten the shoe by a single pull orjerkin a rearward and upward direction. When. the flap 8 is released, the insert 7'permits the side sections 5, 6, of the upper to separate, so that the foot will readily slip out of the shoe. I

The construction, use and advantages of the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection .with the accompanying drawings. While theshoe is particularly adapted fill the use of railroad men who must'walk over switchs and frogs in which their shoes are liable to be caught, it will be seen that it may be used to advantage in foundries and other places where hot metal sometimes detract from its appearance. or rerider it uncomfortable to the wearer.

Various changes. in the form, proportion and'the minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the adlvantagesof this invention, as defined by the, appended cla-ims. l Q

Having thus described my invention,- what I claim as new and desire tcsecure by Letters-Patent, is,-

A shoe liavlng its quarters. separatedin front and rear and provided with fastenlng'means in front and one of them provided with ball-shaped retainers arranged vcr tlcally at'a dlstance in front of the rear edge, a substantially'fan-sliaped bellows fold secured at its side edges to the roar edges of said quarters, and a substantially rec tnngular flap, the free edge of which is provided with a lip and with socket-like fasteners ndiacent thereto in position fo1',cmr:1ging with said balls on the first mentioned quarter, the rear edge of said flap being secured Vertically to'flie rcor' edge of 11m other quarter with its lower edge free and extending below said fold, whereby the fold and the gap between said quarters will be covered when the front edge or the flap is secured by said fasteners.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in.

presence of two subscribing: witnesses.

' sAMin-u. A. EMANUEL.

Witnesses:

W. I)..Lmvls, Imnzr M. Zmsrzn. 

